Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCBC 10-05-2006LITTLE ROCK CITY BEAUTIFUL C❑M M IS5IdN MEETING NOTICE The City Beautiful Commission will hold its regular meeting at 11:15 a.m. on Thursday, October the 5th, 2006, in the Sister Cities Conference Room on the second floor of City Hall. AGENDA Call to Order: Roll Call: Open Public Meeting: Presentation by City Staff: Applicants Comments: Karol Zoeller, Chair ITEM NO. 1 C.B.C. 596-New Matters Simmons First National Bank Robert Brown, agent With Development Consultants Inc. 5000 W. Markham Comments from other interested parties: Call for a motion: ITEM NO.2 C.B.C. 598-New Matters Chick-fil-A Inc., Restaurant Getra Thomason, agent With Chick-fil-A Inc. 6201 W. Markham Street Presentation by City Staff: Applicants Comments: Comments from other interested parties: Call for a motion: Close Public Meeting: Approval of the Minutes: September 07, 2006 Treasurer's Report: Ann Ivey Old Business: New Business: Informative meeting on upcoming landscape variance requests by city staff Adjournment: City Beautiful Commission ♦ 723 West Markham ♦ Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 ♦ (501) 371-4864 October 05, 2006 ITEM NO. I - C.B.C. 596 - NEW MATTERS Applicant: Address: Description: ORDINANCE RE UIREMENTS: Simmons Bank Development Consultants, Inc. Agent, Robert Brown 5000 W. Markham Lots 3, 4, 5, & 6, Pfeifer Addition A perimeter planting strip is required along any side of a vehicular use area that abuts adjoining property. This strip shall be at least nine (9) feet wide. 2. Not more than twenty-five (25) percent of the perimeter planter area may be shifted from one area of the site to another area of the site. VARIANCE RE VESTED: 1. Reduction of a portion of the required northern perimeter landscaping strip. FINDINGS: The property located at 5000 West Markham Street was formerly occupied by a McDonald's restaurant and its associated parking. The building has been razed and the site has been cleared of all improvements. Sirrnnons First National Bank proposes to redevelop the site for a branch bank facility. The new development will consist of a 2,600 square foot building with three drive - through lanes for teller and ATM services. Nine parking spaces will be provided. On September 14, 2006, the Planning Commission approved a Planned Development rezoning application for the site. The Commission's recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Directors after the City Beautiful Commission's action. The site is relatively small, being 100 feet wide and 287 +/- feet deep. Due to the narrow width of the site, there are two variances associated with the required perimeter landscape strips. The applicant is proposing a perimeter strip of approximately 6.5 feet in width along the eastern (Jackson Street) perimeter and a perimeter strip width of approximately 4.5 feet along a portion of the western perimeter. Since the site is located in the designated mature area of the City, the landscape strip can be 6.9 feet in width; a 25% reduction of the typical 9-foot requirement found in Section 15-96 of the Code. Staff is supportive of the requested variances. The proposed redevelopment of this infill site as a new bank will result in a more aesthetically pleasing property than has existed in the thirty years it was occupied by the fast food restaurant. The site sits below the level of Jackson Street by as much as 5 feet. A retaining wall will be located along this perimeter ranging in height from 2.5 to 5 feet. The bank is proposing to place landscaping along both the high and low sides of the retaining wall. The number of required shrubs and trees within this perimeter will exceed Ordinance requirements. The reduction in the perimeter strip width on the western perimeter is for only the north half of the site where it abuts a parking lot for an adjacent office use. The southern half of the western perimeter strip will be larger than required by the Ordinance. Again, in this strip, the number of trees and shrubs will comply with Ordinance requirements. The proposed development has been designed to fit within the limits of the property and to respect normal setback and landscape requirements as closely as possible. Although the new development does not fully comply with all typical Ordinance standards, staff feels the proposed development will be a good addition to this mature neighborhood. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the requested perimeter landscape strip variances. October 05, 2006 ITEM NO.2 - C.B.C. 598 - NEW MATTERS Applicant: Address: Description: Chick-fil-A, Inc. PBS&J, Inc. Agent, Todd Rogers, P.E. Project Manager 6201 W. Markham Lot 2, Section 1, Township 1N, Range 13 West ORDINANCE RE UIREMENTS: 1. A perimeter planting strip is required along any side of a vehicular use area that abuts adjoining property. This strip shall be at least nine (9) feet wide. 2. One (1) tree shall be planted within the perimeter planting strip with an average spacing of not less than thirty (30) feet. 3. Not more than twenty-five (25) percent of the perimeter planter area may be shifted from one area of the site to another area of the site. VARIANCE REQUESTED: 1. Reduction of a portion of the required perimeter landscaping strip along the southern, western and eastern perimeters of the site. 2. Reduction in the quantity of trees planted within the perimeter planting strip within the perimeter planting strip. The requirement is twenty-four (24) trees the applicant is proposing ten (10) trees within this area. FINDINGS: The property located at 6201 West Markham Street was formerly occupied by a Casual Corner retail store and its associated parking. The proposal includes the removal of the structure and the existing parking surface. Chick-fil-A proposes to redevelop the site for a restaurant with drive through service. The new development will consist of a 3,776 square foot building with a drive - through lane and fifty parking spaces will be provided. The site is relatively small, being 148 feet wide and 288 +/- feet deep. Due to the narrow width of the site, there are two variances associated with the required perimeter landscape strips. The applicant is proposing a perimeter strip ranging from 2.5 feet to 4.5 feet in width along the eastern, western, and southern perimeters. This minimum city requirement is nine feet along all three perimeters per Section 15-96 of the Code. The site is a total of 0.976 acres and three sides of the property are enclosed by an existing retaining wall. Due to the perimeter restraints of the property the quantity of required trees has been reduced. The landscape ordinance requires a tree every 30 feet along the perimeters of the site. The applicant is proposing the following in conjunction with this approval: 1. To increase the depth of the green space along Markham Street twenty-five feet. 2. To increase the landscaping quantity along Markham Street frontage. 3. To add an automatic irrigation system. 4. The interior islands have been increase to 300 square feet in area; 150 is the requirement and shrubs have been added to these interior islands. Staff is supportive of the requested variances. The proposed redevelopment of this infill site as a new restaurant within the Mid -town District is a substantial improvement to the area. The new building is substantially smaller thus allowing for the addition of permeable greenspace. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff feels the proposed development is a good use of this small site and recommends approval with the conditions noted above.